Method and apparatus for reducing the volume of waste materials

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and method of reducing in volume waste material comprising comminuting the waste material in a pulverizer and delivering to an extruder-compacter through a precompaction feed chute in which a positive delivery air flow delivers the comminuted material to the extruder-compacter. The air flow is likewise used to recycle air to the pulverizer to assist in positively delivering waste material to the pulverizer. Fluff in the precompaction feed chute is scraped and compacted by a tamper for delivery to the extruder-compacter without impeding the air flow and collection of waste material in the feed chute is eliminated.

United States Patent inventors Steven Schwarz South Orange; William Wiley Miner, ,lr., Hightstown, NJ. Appl. No. 835,339 Filed June 23, 1969 Assignee SFM Corporation Union, NJ. a corporation of New Jersey METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE VOLUME 0F WASTE MATERIALS 7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

u.s.c1. 100/39, 100/42,100/97,100/126,100/139,100/185, 100/189'. 241/56. 241/154. 241/285: 18/12 Int. Cl. 1330b 13/00, B301) 15/08 Field of Search 241/154,

Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite Attorney- Robert E. Burns & Emmanuel J. Lobato ABSTRACT: Apparatus and method of reducing in volume waste material comprising comminuting the waste material in a pulverizer and delivering to an extruder-compacter through a precompaction feed chute in which a positive delivery air flow delivers the comminuted material to the extruder-compacter. The air flow is likewise used to recycle air to the pulverizer to assist in positively delivering waste material to the pulverizer. Fluff in the precompaction feed chute is scraped and compacted by a tamper for delivery to the extruder-compacter without impeding the air flow and collection of waste material in the feed chute is eliminated.

' V PATE N m4 1 9 I97! i SHEEI 3 OF 5 m @E v PATENTEB JAN 1 9 I97! SHEEI E OF 5 METHOD AND APPARATUS r011v REDUCING THE VOLUME/F WASTE MATERIALS .paratusof theabove-mentioned patent. Apparatus of the type disclosed in the patent have heretofore used a feed chute or settling chamber communicating between a reduction mill or pulverizer and a compacter whichtends to have material gather within the chute if the comminuted waste is an in any way wet ordamp. The known apparatus also have the interior of the feed chute material generallycovered by adhering comminuted material which adheres to the interior of the chute because of charges carried by the particles and provision must bemadefor delivering the adhered material eventually to a compacter-extruder.

According to the invention a reduction mill or pulverizer having a flow control plate receives waste material to be comminuted and on which are mounted cutter bars that break up the material beforeit passes downwardly to-a second stage where hammer blades orflails reduce the waste material to smaller particles. The size of the particles maybe substantially controlled by breaker plates adjustable inwardly and outwardly relative to theinterior of the reduction mill or "pulverizer to c ontrollably set the clearance between these plates and the hammer blades in the second stage-of the mill. The

comminuted material is discharged centrifugally by a positive air flow developed'bythe mill into a feed chute which delivers the material to an .extruder-compacter reducing the material in size or volume and discharges as -.extrusions dry waste briquettes. The feed chute is provided with an air return conduit that allows recycling of air flow from the mill into the feed chute and back into the interior of the pulverizer to improve delivery of the waste. a

' Within the feed chute is mounted a scraper or sweeper that removes comminuted material adhering to the interior surfaces ofthe'feed chute and positively delivers this waste" material to the extruder-cornpacter. The sweeper or scraper is provided as a new and novel construction as a tamper in which the air flow between the pulverizer and feed chute is not in any way impeded.

Other features and advantages of the apparatus and method in accordance with the present invention will be better understood as described in the following sped specification and ap ended claims, in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1, is a lan view of ap aratus embodying the invention;

' FIG- 2, a side elevation view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1';

FIG. 3, is adeveloped sideelevation view, artly in section, of the apparatusillu'strated in FIGS. l and' z;

FIG. 4'is-a fragmentary-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a pulverizer of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5, is a cross section view take taken along section line 5-5 ofFlGt-4; I

F1G.'6, is a fragmentary elevation section view,'on an enlarged scale, of a part'of theapparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIGJ7, is a crosssection view taken along section line 7-7 FIG. 8, is aplan'view,partly-in section, of an extruder-compacter of theapparatus illustrated'in FIG. 3;

H039, is a ve'rticalsection view ofa second embodiment of a feedchute of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 10, is a cross section view taken along section line 10-10 of FlG. 9.

The apparatus hereinafter described reduces solid waste by greatly reducing its volumcand may be used to process, by pulverization and reduction in volume, paper, glass, plastic, metal cans and other wet and dry solid waste. The apparatus compresses the pulverized product to as little as one-fifteenth its original volume extracting excess moisture as hereinafter described and the end product is a compressed, relatively dry waste formed, for example, as dry briquettes. While the apparatus will be described for processing products of the above described type it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other waste materials may be similarly processed.

Apparatus according to the invention comprises a motorized inclined conveyor 10 for receiving waste material delivering it to a pulverizer or reduction mill 12 which discharges into a feed chute 14 comminuted material which is fed by the feed chute to an extruder-compacter 16 that greatly reduces the volume of the comminuted material and extrudes it as dry briquettes. The motorized conveyor is provided with a hopper 20 in communication with a lower end of a tube or housing 21 within which is housed a conveyor screw 23 driven by a belt drive 24 rotationally driven by an electric motor 25. The motorized conveyor has an opening at an upper end thereof to which is connected or in communication therewith a chute or hopper 27 defining an upper connector to the reduction mill or pulverizer 12.

The upper connector 27 receives the waste material from the conveyor 10 and delivers it into a" lower part of the reduction mill constituting a tub 28 within which is mounted a flow control plate 29 connected to a rotor spindle 30 mounted on bearings 31, 32 and rotationally driven by a belt drive 34 powered by an electric motor 36. Within the mill and intermediate the rotor and the tub 28 and below the flow control plate are mounted hammer pins 38, 39 each supported on a plate 41 by pin locks 42, 43 pivotally mounted on pins 45, and rotationally movable relative to the plate 41 for insertion of the hammer pins 38 into position and then rotated back into position into a recess within the plate in which a locking pin 48, 49 is received thereby locking the hammer pins in place.-

The hammer pins pivotally mount thereon eight hammer blades or flails 50 symmetrically disposed and spaced from one another by spacer washers 52 disposed circumferentially of the individual hammer pins as illustrated.

The support plate 41 is integral with a support structure 51 provided with outwardly extending flanges 53 supporting the spacers 52. Beneath the lowermost flange 53 are mounted two sweeper hammers 55 and sweeper bars 56, 57 are-mounted on and below the plate 41 to sweep the waste out of the pulverizer. Each of the hammer blades or flails has a tip portion 50a coated with Certanium 250 a certanium carbide hardening material to reduce wear. The sweeper hammers 55 are provided with a plate 55a coatedwith hardening material 55b of the same composition as the hardening material on the hammer blades.

The flow control plate 29 is mounted with a larger clearance between it and the mill tub interior surfaces as illustrated and is provided with cutter bars 60, 61 having end portions 61a, a coated with hardening material of the type on the flails or hammers. These cutter bars constitute a first reduction stage and reduce the size of the waste. The clearance between the flow plate and the tub allows the material to move downwardly into the second stage of the reduction mill or pulverizer where the flails driven by centrifugal force as the flow control plate rotates reduce the material to comminuted materialand the rotationally driven sweeper hammers centrifugally discharge the comminuted waste material through centrifugal force outwardly through a discharge conduit 63 tangentially disposed relative to the path of the sweeper hammers and the hammer tub. The pulverizer is provided with breaker plates 65, 66 that are mounted on the mill hammer tub and may be adjusted in their radial position relative to the tips of the hammers by adjust screws 69, 70 so that the size particles may be controlled and any wear of the hammers compensated so that the set clearance is maintained for maintaining the proper particle size to which the waste is reduced or comminuted.

The driven flails and scraper hammers develop an air flow into the feed chute or precompacter 14 through the outlet connection 63 providing communication between the reduction mill or pulverizer 12 and the feed chute 14. The reduced or comminuted material is discharged into the feed chute and moves downwardly to the extruder-compacter 16 as illustrated by the directional arrows in FIG. 3. The downward movement of the material is positively assisted by the air flow between the pulverizer and the feed chute 14. An air return 80 is provided at the top of the feed chute 14 for returning air to the connector 27 immediately above the pulverizer feed control plate in order to allow an improved recirculation of the air to better deliver the waste to the hammers and to deliver particles carried by the air flow back into the system for reworking and eventual delivery outwardly from the apparatus as dry briquettes as later described.

Within the feed chute is mounted a scraper paddle 82, illustrated in detail in F165. 6 and 7. The paddle is provided with rubber strips 83, 84 bearing against the inner surfaces of the feed chute 14, which is circular in cross section. The paddle is driven rotationally by a suspension shaft 86 driven by a motor drive 88. The paddle is constructed to allow the downward air flow from the reduction mill positively delivering the comminuted material to the extruder-compacter 16. The paddle is driven rotationally in a counterclockwise direction and scrapes off any comminuted material which may have adhered to the inner walls of the feed chute due to, for example, its moisture content or because of the electric charges of the particles. Thus, any buildup of waste material is precluded from taking place within the chute and the entire waste discharge from the pulverizer is delivered to the extruder-compacter 16. The paddle is provided with downwardly extending projections 82a, 82b which project into an opening 91 providing communication between the feed chute and the extrudercompacter 16 provided in a base 93. These projections breakup the waste particles at the opening of the extrudercompacter that may bridge it due to the attraction of the particles for each other that tends to cause bridging.

The extruder-compacter comprises a fork-shaped ram arrangement having, for example, five bars 95 mounted on a support plate 96 connected to a piston 98 reciprocally driven by hydraulic cylinder 99 mounted on a frame 100 having brace bars 102. The extruder-compacter bars are spaced from each other and extend generally in the same direction parallel to each other. Within spaces 104 between the ram bars 95 are mounted rollers 106 for guiding axial movement of the compacter bars during reciprocable travel thereof.

The extruder-compacter is provided with guide members 110 aligned with the spaces 104 and disposed immediately below the opening 91 of the precompaction feed chute. The bars of the compacter have free ends 95a disposed as illustrated in FIG. 8 when the compacter forklike element is in a retracted position below the opening 91 and as the material is received between the guides or spaces 110 and the compacter ram moves forwardly the bars moved to a position shown in broken lines and designated 95c in FIG. 6, to form continuous briquettes 112 of compacted waste comminuted material which are extruded through an extrusion plate 113 and delivered on to an output chute 115 and then removed from the vicinity of the apparatus. The hydraulic cylinder 99 is supplied with hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic system 120 for continuously reciprocating the forklike ram element so that the discharge of dry briquettes is continuous from the extrudercompacter.

The precompacter 14 may be constructed in a different and improved manner as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and in which a feed chute or precompacter 130 is illustrated constructed rectangular. in cross section. This compacter receives the particles of waste material from the pulverizer through an opening, not shown, in a manner as before described. The feed chute comprises an air return 131, as before described but in this embodiment a housing 133 houses a hydraulic cylinder 135 provided with hydraulic fluid for reciprocally driving a pair of drive rods 136, 137 connected to a plate 140 operably driven through a piston rod 142 of thehydraulic cylinder 135. The rods extend out of the casing into the lower part of the feed chute and at the lower ends thereof a frame scraper 147 is connected for reciprocable travel with the operating rods 136, 137 guided by guides 148, 148. This scraper functions as a scraper to remove the light weight materials or fluff from the inner walls of the feed chute portion and as a tamper to compact the comminuted scraped material at the lower end of the stroke thereof and positively deliver the particles into an opening 149 of an extruder-compacter 150 of the type heretofore described with respect to the first embodiment of the apparatus.

The tamper 147 is advanced in a downwardly direction by the cylinder 135 by fluid received from the hydraulic unit 120 and it is retracted by hydraulic pressure reciprocably driving the piston rod. The downward stroke of the scraper-tamper 147 starts from the position in which it is illustrated. in order to keep the air outlet 131 clear a second scraper 147 is provided. This second scraper has a stroke from its retracted position to a lowered position in which it clears fluff from the precompacter 130 upper wall surfaces and the air-return 131.

The second scraper 147 is driven by rods and 156 extending axially of two compression springs 155, 156'. Four of these rods and springs are employed but only two of each are shown. These rods have their lower ends connected to the second scraper and their upper ends are connected to Z- shaped elements movable axially of the main rods 136, 137 driving the scraper-tamper 147. When the main actuating rods 136, 137 move downwardly they carry with them respective collars 136', 137 which engage the Z-shaped elements and drive the rods 155, 156 connected thereto downwardly to effect the downward stroke of the second scraper 147'. When the first scraper 147 is moved upwardly hydraulically the compression springs extend and retract the second scraper to its starting position illustrated.

The scraper-tamper 147 does not impede the air flow from the pulverizer so that the same positive delivery of material is accomplished by the air flow as above described. The scraper 147 is provided with four fingers 160 at the comers thereof extending downwardly and each has an inwardly extending projection 160a. These fingers extend downwardly sufficiently at the bottom dead center position of the travel of the scraper to loosen material subjected to compaction or tamping which takes place at the lowermost travel of the tamper 147. These fingers and projections sufficiently breakup the compacted or tamped material removed from the inner walls so that it does not bridge on itself and is positively delivered to the extrudercompacter 150.

Provision is made for draining out the extruder-compacter 16 through a drain and it may be flushed out by supplying water through an inlet connection 193. The extruder-compacter is provided with leveling feet 195, 196.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for reducing the volume of waste material comprising, comminuting means having means to comminute waste waste material, precompaction means in communication with said comminuting means to receive the comminuted material from said comminuting means, an extruder-compacter receiving the comminuted waste from said precompaction means to compact the comminuted waste material to reduce it in volume and extrude it as a dry output of said apparatus, said means to comminute waste material comprising means developing a positive air flow through said precompaction means to positively deliver the comminuted waste discharge from said comminuting means to said extruder-compacter and air return means to recycle air back to said comminuting means immediately upstream of said means to comminute waste material.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said means to comminute comprises rotationally driven hammer blades,

means pivotally mounting said hammer blades, said means developing said air flow including-scraper hammers rotationally driven, and means in said 'precompaction means to positively delivercomminuted waste material to said extrudercompacter in conjunction with said air flow comprising means operative to effect positive delivery of comminuted waste without impeding said air flow.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which said precompaction means comprises means defining a feed chute receiving comminuted waste material from said comminuting means, and in which said means in said precompaction means to positively deliver comminuted waste material to said exmscler-compacter comprises a reciprocably driven frame to remove waste material from inner surfaces of said feed chute and effective to precompact said comminuted waste material before compaction by said extruder-compacter.

4. Apparatus for reducing the volume of waste material comprising, a pulverizer to comminute waste material received therein, driven hammer blades and scraper hammers in said pulverizer to comminute the waste material and to deliver it outwardly of said pulverizer, a feed chute in communicating with said pulverizer receiving comminuted waste from said pulverizer, an extruder-compacter in communication with said feed chute for receiving comminuted waste from said feed chute to compact and reduce its volume and having means to extrude the compacted waste material as dry outputs of said apparatus, said scraper hammers comprising means to develop an air flow positively feeding comminuted waste material into said feed chute and delivering comminuted in said feed chute back to said pulverizer immediately upstream of a zone in which said hammer blades are disposed thereby to assist in positively delivering waste material to said zone including comminuted waste material in said air flow.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including a scraper driven in said feed chute to remove comminuted waste from inner surfaces of said feed chute and deliver the waste material removed positively to said extruder-compacter without impeding delivery of comminuted waste to said extruder-com pacter by said air flow during operation of said apparatus.

6. A method of reducing the volume of waste material comprising, comminuting a volume of waste material. compacting the waste comminuted waste material to reduce its volume, extruding the compacted waste material, and while comminuting the waste material developing an air flow to positively deliver the comminuted waste material to a zone in whichthe compacting is effected and returning a part of said air flow immediately upstream of another zone in which said comminuting is effected thereby to improve the delivery of comminuted waste material to the first-mentioned zone.

7. A method according to claim 6, including mechanically positively delivering comminuted waste material from said another zone in conjunction with said air flow without impeding the air flow and delivery of comminuted waste material to the first-mentioned zone by said air flow. 

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said means to comminute comprises rotationally driven hammer blades, means pivotally mounting said hammer blades, said means developing said air flow including scraper hammers rotationally driven, and means in said precompaction means to positively deliver comminuted waste material to said extruder-compacter in conjunction with said air flow comprising means operative to effect positive delivery of comminuted waste without impeding said air flow.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which said precompaction means comprises means defining a feed chute receiving comminuted waste material from said comminuting means, and in which said means in said precompaction means to positively deliver comminuted waste material to said extruder-compacter comprises a reciprocably driven frame to remove waste material from inner surfaces of said feed chute and effective to precompact said comminuted waste material before compaction by said extruder-compacter.
 4. Apparatus for reducing the volume of waste material comprising, a pulverizer to comminute waste material received therein, driven hammer blades and scraper hammers in said pulverizer to comminute the waste material and to deliver it outwardly of said pulverizer, a feed chute in communicating with said pulverizer receiving comminuted waste from said pulverizer, an extruder-compacter in communication with said feed chute for receiving comminuted waste from said feed chute to compact and reduce its volume and having means to extrude the compacted waste material as dry outputs of said apparatus, said scraper hammers comprising means to develop an air flow positively feeding comminuted waste material into said feed chute and delivering comminuted waste material through said feed chute into said extruder-compacter, and an air return delivering air from said air flow in said feed chute back to said pulverizer immediately upstream of a zone in which said hammer blades are disposed thereby to assist in positively delivering waste material to said zone including comminuted waste material in said air flow.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including a scraper driven in said feed chute to remove comminuted waste from inner surfaces of said feed chute and deliver the waste material removed positively to said extruder-compacter without impeding delivery of comminuted waste to said extruder-compacter by said air flow during operation of said apparatus.
 6. A method of reducing the volume of waste material comprising, comminuting a volume of waste material, compacting the waste comminuted waste material to reduce its volume, extruding the compacted waste material, and while comminuting the waste material developing an air flow to positively deliver the comminuted waste material to a zone in which the compacting is effected and returning a part of said air flow immediately upstream of another zone in which said comminuting is effected thereby to improve the delivery of comminuted waste material to the first-mentioned zone.
 7. A method according to claim 6, including mechanically positively delivering comminuted waste material from said another zone in conjunction with said air flow without impeding the air flow and delivery of comminuted waste material to the first-mentioned zone by said air flow. 